September 17, 2026

OEC Statement on Leasing Auction of Wayne National Forest Parcels

For Immediate Release:  

September 17, 2026 

Contact:  

Karlena Wallace, Communications Director  

media@theoec.org 614-487-7506  

OEC Statement on Leasing Auction of Way National Forest Parcels 

On September 15, 2026, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sold oil and gas leases for 2,800 acres of the Wayne National Forest. Parcels were leased for as little as $10 per acre. 

The sale is part of a larger BLM plan to lease 40,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest to the oil and gas industry. The Ohio Environmental Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and Heartwood are currently litigating the BLM’s underlying 40,000-acre plan in court. 

The following quote can be attributed, in whole or in part, to Nathan Johnson, Senior Attorney, Land and Water for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC):   

“Yesterday’s lease sale violates important environmental laws meant to protect endangered wildlife and the quality of the environment. The Wayne is Ohio’s only National Forest and one of the state’s best places for outdoor recreation. Fracking the Wayne will pollute the air, harm local streams, and industrialize the landscape. We are preparing to challenge yesterday’s leasing in federal court.”  

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The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) protects the environment and health of all Ohio communities through legal and policy advocacy, decision-maker accountability, and civic engagement.